Is it true that you can choose your job if you graduate from ROTC?

Question

I am thinking about doing ROTC when I go to college next year. I have heard that ROTC graduates have some degree of selection as to what officer job they get. For instance, if you ask to be put in intelligence, they would strongly consider (though they wouldn't commit,. of course) putting you there. Is this true? Are there any ROTC graduates here who didn't get one of their first choices?

Answer 1

Not entirely.

I, too, got a commission through ROTC, with a 3-year scholarship. When it came time to list my preferred branches, I HAD to list at least one combat arm (Infantry, Armor, Artillery, Air Defense), as well as the other more logical choices (I earned a degree in chemistry). If you're not on scholarship, then you have a bit more flexibility. But even then, the Army chooses which branch you will be assigned -- you just get to list your preferences.

After college, I took a two-year educational delay to earn an MS-Chem. When it was time for me to go onto active duty, the Army tried to put me into the Engineers. Had to spend all the effort that might have gone into a thesis defending/promoting my primary choice of Chemical Corps to get in where I really belonged.

That was 31 years ago . . .

Answer 2

I am currently in ROTC and as it stands now you get to ask for 4 or 5 branches and if you are a guy at least one has to be combat arms. I assume you are talking about the Army of course. Some branches are highly desirable such as Intel, Signal, and Aviation, so you had better make them your first choice if you want them. Second, you may get "branch detailed" to another branch for 4 years. This is the Army's way of allowing you to be an Intelligence Officer but also getting what they need. Basically you are Infantry for 4 years, then once your commitment is up if you still feel like serving they will move you into Intel. This happens a lot especially to guys.

I am former Army enlisted Intel and I met very few 2LT male Intel officers. A lot of those slots are given to women because they are ineligible for combat arms. If you look at breakdown of officers in the Army over half are some sort of combat arms. If you can't deal with getting stuck in combat arms reevaluate your options. I have met plenty of people who didn't get their first choice. Occasionally they were crap cadets and then became crap officers. Sometimes, they just got shafted because of the year they graduated not many slots were open in their desired branch. If you do good in ROTC and get a good recommendation from your PMS you have a good shot at getting some of what you want. Don't forget to have a good GPA too. A 4.0 in leisure studies looks a lot better than a 2.0 in quantum physics.

Just remember that you go "needs of the Army". If they give you a scholarship or even just a commission they see it as "we did you a favor just giving you a commission" now we are going to stick you where we need you. Good Luck.

Answer 3

No. As DaveStar mention there is some opportunity to obtain your 1st choice in branch selection. But remember slot selection is also dictacted by class standing, number of slots in that branch for new 2LTs, and it isn't suppose to matter but your source of commissioning does have some....impact?

Also remember that women are restricted from the combat arms. Therefore the number of women being commission automatically reduces the number of slot in say, MI (intelligence), MP, quartermaster, finance, chemical corp, medical service corp, adjatent general etc. available to men being commission. I am not critizing our women who sever as the law restricts them from the combat arms branchs. Althought things have changed since I received my commission in the Field Artillery. When I was in Iraq I met a female ADA officer.

The most recent force requirements articles I have read indicate that on average just over 50% of new 2LT are tasked to the combat arms but the next 2 years that percentage will exceed 60%....

After all, at the end of the day the Army is about combat. On the upside historically promotions are quciker and reach higher ranks to those in the combat arms branches.

I joined a special commissioning program started in 1976 (and continued to this day) where the Army tested and then selected just 50 college grads to enlist, go to basic training and then to OCS. My undergrad was in Criminal Justice and my Grad degree was an MPA with a minor in Criminology. I put MP as my 1st choice and field artillery as my 2nd. (I too wanted MI but we had 3 SF guys going through that had a lock on those slots - vast experience). I got FA.

Don't be discouraged just be practical. Be aware that under today's conditions there is a high probability that you will be tagged for a combat arms slot. But hey, when I was in Iraq as a civilian I saw and met plenty of MI officers but not all were holding down MI duties.

Go for and either way it turn out, I promise you having served as a commissioned officer will do wonders on you resume if you decide to leave the service.

Good luck.

Answer 4

they recently put in a program where if you really, really want your first choice of branch you can put in for an extra 2? yrs of commitment and you will be considered before almost everyone else. the almost comes in if you finish within the top 15% of your entire year group nationwide they were guaranteeing your branch of choice. i have not heard anyone within these two groups not getting their branch of choice. i m talking strictly about the army, the navy and chair force can kiss my 4 point of contact on this.

but the question to your last question, YES, one of the guys who i knew because he was the Ranger Challenge captain and all around nice guy behind me did not get anything within his top choices, he didnt fall in any of the categories, and transportion corps really wanted/needed ppl that werent rear echlon choonies, so they selected him, i think he is off to ranger school after his Officer basic course.

but if you are not on scholarship than you can kind of shop around, cuz if you know someone in your state that has an active guard position for a 2LT, you can get a Guarantee Reserve Forces number and do that, there you are guaranteed your branch, serve full time like you want to and do your time where you can expect to, rather than get stationed in some of the extremely nice, secluded places where army bases are located.

what the army is doing lately is actually pairing ppl up with what the person majored in, offcourse you are going to have ppl that didnt study that stuff or get placed randomly. if you are great with languages and show that you are an expert in it than you might get placed M.I,, engineering majors are being placed back in as Engineers, and chem/bio ppl are being placed in the chem corp

the army is moving a lot of their combat support jobs to the National Guard, and the admin jobs to the Reserves, cuz they realized now that when you only do a job one wkend a month, your warrior skills are not as honed as someone who does it all the time. and a lot of our non-tactical logistics stuff now are contracted out so fewer non combat jobs.

Answer 5

depending entirely upon your qualifications, after taking the ASVAB test and going through ROTC, you're able to choose your most preferred specialties.... then, depending entirely upon availability and the military's needs, you will either get one of your five choices, one of the specialties THEY need you in (along with a nice signing bonus), or the option to not even go in at all.